Happy 25th Birthday to the World Wide Web

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Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the World Wide Web, wants a digital bill of rights to address the threats to the future of the web.

Updated at 9:18 PM PDT on Wednesday, Mar 12, 2014

The World Wide Web turned 25 years old Wednesday, with its inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee calling for a "digital bill of rights" to keep the web free and open for everyone.

“I invented the WWW 25 years ago and I am concerned and excited about its future,” Berners-Lee tweeted Wednesday morning, asking everyone to join him for a discussion on Reddit on the future of the web.

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“On March 12, 1989 I submitted my proposal for the World Wide Web. 25 years later, I'm amazed to see the many great things it's achieved - transforming the way we talk, share and create,” Berners-Lee posted on Reddit. “As we celebrate the Web's 25th birthday, I want us all to think about its future and ask how we can help make it a truly open, secure and creative platform – available to everyone."

When a Reddit user asked Berners-Lee what other names he had considered other than the World Wide Web, he replied: “Mine of Information, The Information Mine, The Mesh.”

However, “none had quite the right ring," he said.

Another Reddit user wanted to know: “Do you think in the (not too distant) future we'll look back and think ourselves lucky to have witnessed a neutral, free, and uncensored world wide web?”

“I think it is up to us,” Berners-Lee said. “I'm not guessing, I'm hoping. Yes, I can imagine that all too easily. If ordinary web users are not sufficiently aware of threats and get involved

and if necessary take to the streets like for SOPA and PIPA and ACTA. On balance? I am optimistic.”

Berners-Lee also wrote a guest post on the Google blog, underlining the importance of speaking up for the web’s future.

A number of celebrities, science organizations and tech sites took to Twitter to wish the web a happy birthday.

"Happy birthday World Wide Web. What do you think the next 25 hold? I hope we'll have wifi on the moon!" tweeted Virgin CEO Sir Richard Branson.